The sky couldn’t have better on Thursday, October 26, for the black-tie guests to enjoy the Texas Discovery Gardens grounds before going indoors for the dinner celebrating the “terrific trio’s (Bettye Slaven, Janet Smith and Marilyn Waisanen) receiving the Flora Award . Here’s a report from the field:
Texas Discovery Gardens presented its prestigious annual Flora Award on Thursday, October 26, to Bettye Slaven, Janet Smith and Marilyn Waisanen, otherwise known as the ‘terrific trio’.
Graced by $200,000 worth of deBoulle jewels, who designed the actual Flora Award, Kathryn Febbroriello, Angela Shank and Amelia Valz co-chaired the elegant evening for their second consecutive year. The enchanting garden grounds served as the opening act for the black-tie occasion; accented with glimmering lights and surrounded with whimsical music by the Steve Bayless Orchestra.
A seated dinner by Food Company was served in the Grand Hall. Tables laden with elegant linens housed Garden Gage arranged terrariums with live Monarch butterflies, all placed upon repurposed native Texas Tree ‘cookies’ from the ranch of TDG Executive Director Dick Davis.
More than 240 guests celebrated the 2017 honorees and helped raise more than $190,000. The crowd consisting of Barbara Hunt Crow, Caroline Rose Hunt, Kristy and Patrick Sands, Ann and Bob Dyer, Myriam and Randall Graham, Lyda Hill, Erin Shields, Suzy and Tom Rhodes and David and Waverly Smith. 2017 Honorary Co-Chairs Bob and Myrna Schlegel, who were presented the Flora Award in 2016, and the ‘terrific trio’ are members of the prestigious honorees including Peggy and Carl Sewell, Laura and President George W. Bush and the late Ebby Halliday Acers, who are all recognized for their commitment to community service.
The generosity of those who support the Flora Award fundraiser support the first public garden in the state of Texas to be certified 100% organic by the Texas Organic Research Center. Children and adults discover and learn to sustain the natural world at the Fair Park grounds which will debut a new hummingbird garden and children’s playscape in the near future. To learn more, visit or support Texas Discovery Gardens and Butterfly House see www.TexasDiscoveryGardens.org or call 214.428.7476.
* Photo credit: James Edward